Published 16:59 IST, November 30th 2020
IMD issues red alert to three districts in Kerala ahead of developing Cyclone Burevi
With the state likely to receive heavy rains from Tuesday, KDSMA has sounded a red alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta & Alappuzha districts
Just a week after Cyclone Nirav, another brewing cyclone in the southeast region of the Bay of Bengal has forced the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) to issue a red alert in three districts of Kerala. With the state likely to receive heavy rains from Tuesday, the KDSMA has sounded a red alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts until December 3. The depression which is most likely to develop into Cyclone Burevi is expected to intensify and cross Sri Lanka around December 2.
Meanwhile, red alerts have been issued to southern districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as well. The southern states including parts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts have been warned of heavy rains until December 3. Kerala has also banned all fishing activities starting Monday midnight until further notice. Authorities have asked all those out fishing in the sea to get back to the nearest coastal zone.
"It is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 24 hours. It is also likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and cross the Sri Lanka coast around the evening of December 2," the IMD said in a statement on Monday.
Cyclone Nivar wreaks havoc
Last week, "very severe cyclonic storm" Nivar had hit Tamil Nadu. About 2.5 lakh people were housed in cyclone shelters in the state as part of safety measures. The Centre on Friday pledged all support to cyclone Nivar-affected Tamil Nadu with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K Palniswami announcing relief to the kin of those killed. Nivar which wreaked havoc in 18 districts of the state has claimed four lives besides leaving several cattle dead and over 2,000 trees uprooted, Palaniswami said, a day after the very severe storm made landfall. Palaniswami announced Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the victims.
The cyclone had crossed the coast between Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Thursday morning but spared the state of very large scale destruction as witnessed during the Gaja cyclone two years ago that crossed the coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam in the south. Apart from uprooting 2,064 trees in the affected districts, including Chennai, Cuddalore, Chengalpattu, Vellore and Nagapattinam, it caused damage to about 108 power transformers and over 2,927 electric poles.
Updated 16:59 IST, November 30th 2020